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DOI: 10.15507/1991-9468.029.202504.666-683

UDC 373:616.7

Conceptual Foundations for Organizing Special Learning Conditions for Schoolchildren with Musculoskeletal Impairments

Alla Ya. Abkovich
Cand.Sci. (Ped.), Head of Laboratory of Education and Comprehensive Habilitation of Persons with Mobility Impairments and Multiple Developmental Disorders, Institute of Special Education (1 bld., 8 Pogodinskaya St., Moscow 119121, Russian Federation), ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1791-8128, SPIN-code: 4999-6302, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Irina Yu. Levchenko
Dr.Sci. (Psychol.), Professor, Head of Laboratory of Inclusive Education, Moscow City University (1 bld., 4 2nd Selskokhozyaistvennyi Proezd, Moscow 129226, Russian Federation), ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6456-0793, SPIN-code: 2489-3015, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract
Introduction. The transformation of the school education system for children with musculoskeletal impairments, driven by changes in public life and legislation, is a response to the social demand for the quality and accessibility of education for children with disabilities and special educational needs. However, there is a lack of research focused on the qualitative peculiarities of the development of modern children with motor impairments, their specific educational needs, and the conditions necessary for their successful learning. The aim of the study is to develop a system of special learning conditions for schoolchildren with musculoskeletal impairments.
Materials and Methods. The design of the system for special learning conditions for schoolchildren with musculoskeletal impairments was based on an analysis of specialized literature on the research problem, a study of the clinical, psychological, and pedagogical characteristics of the current population of children with motor pathologies (n = 842), their specific educational needs, and the results of monitoring special learning conditions conducted through a survey of educators from 319 educational organizations. Methods used to study the developmental characteristics and specific needs of children with motor impairments included analysis of medical data, psychological and pedagogical experiments, observation, interviews, and methods of mathematical and descriptive statistics.
Results. Conceptual foundations for a system of special learning conditions for schoolchildren with musculoskeletal impairments have been developed. The goal of organizing this system is to enhance the quality and accessibility of general education for students by creating optimal conditions for their development, education, and social adaptation. The conceptual framework consists of humanistic, systemic, complex, level-based, individually oriented and subject-subject approaches. The system is based on the variable educational needs of schoolchildren, which are determined based on their individual typological characteristics, and provide a level-based organization of special conditions in schools (basic, advanced and optimal levels). Each of the levels corresponds to the school's preparedness to learn and meet the special educational needs of a certain group of students with musculoskeletal impairments.
Discussion and Conclusion. The research resulted in a tiered system for organizing special learning conditions for students with musculoskeletal impairments. An approach is proposed where a school’s preparedness to educate children with musculoskeletal impairments is viewed as a real characteristic of preparedness to educate children with motor pathologies and diverse educational needs, determined by considering the specific educational needs of individual students within a particular school. The article’s materials contain new data on the phenomenology and structure of the special educational needs of school-children with motor impairments and approaches to their implementation. These findings will be useful for researchers and practicing educators in the field of special and inclusive education.

Keywords: children with musculoskeletal impairments, general education, schooling, special educational needs, special educational conditions

Funding: Тhe research was conducted at the Institute of Special Education within the framework of the research work “Modern Methodological Foundations of General Education for Learners with Limited Health Abilities” (Government Order No. 073-00070-24-01, 2024).

Acknowledgments: The authors are thankful to reviewers for their comments and suggestions that improved the quality of the article.

Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

For citation: Abkovich A.Ya., Levchenko I.Yu. Conceptual Foundations for Organizing Special Learning Conditions for Schoolchildren with Musculoskeletal Impairments. Integration of Education. 2025;29(4):666–683. https://doi.org/10.15507/1991-9468.029.202504.666-683

Authors’ contribution:
A.Ya. Abkovich – formulation of research goals and aims; development of methodology; conducting a research and investigation process; visualization; writing the initial draft.
I. Yu. Levchenko – mentorship for the research activity planning and execution; critical review the initial draft.

Availability of data and materials. The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the authors on reasonable request.

All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.

Submitted 01.03.2025;
revised 29.05.2025;
accepted 05.06.2025.

REFERENCES

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